1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for dissolving and dispensing a solid and for controlling the rate of flow of the solid in solution in a dispersed manner into a toilet tank or bowl.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Efforts to affect dispersion of a dissolved solid into a toilet bowl or tank have encompassed many different methods, techniques and devices. The problem with prior art dispensing/dispersing devices has been that they are either incapable of controlling the dispersion and rate of flow of the solid in solution into the tank or they are too complicated and expensive to manufacture and operate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,926 to Levey discloses just such a device. Specifically, the Levey patent discloses a cap which is usable with the container filled with a water soluble compound. The cap includes an inner and outer shell having orifices at certain locations, and the shells are positioned with respect to each other so as to allow a specified quantity of dissolved solid to flow from the container for every flushing of the tank. The device of Levey however, is not shaped so as to take advantage of the various turbulent flows generated in a tank during flushing, and the dispersion of the solution into the tank is not as rapid, controlled and efficient as in the present invention. Further, the Levey device has a much more complicated construction than the present invention and is therefore much more expensive to manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,739 to Buchtel discloses a dispenser for a flush tank. The structure of Buchtel however, requires that a liquid be used in the container. Further, Buchtel shows an entire container assembly and cannot be used in combination with a compact size solid container as can be done with the device of the present invention.
Other devices, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,077 to Floria, although simple in structure, and used for dissolving and dispensing a solid in a liquid, cannot be used in a toilet flush tank or bowl since the structure disclosed is for use by being directly attached to a faucet.
Thus, the prior art devices have been either inadequate for providing effective dispersion of a solution which has been created within the devices or are too complicated in structure and thus very expensive to manufacture.